Manchester United defeated 10-man Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in their UEFA Europa League semi-final first-leg tie at San Mames on Thursday evening (May 1). Casemiro’s opener was added to by a Bruno Fernandes brace while Daniel Vivian received a red card in the first half for the La Liga outfit.
The home side began the game in the ascendancy, hitting their stride right from the first whistle. The Spaniards came close to opening the scoring on more than one occasion but failed to apply the finishing touches to a few presentable opportunities.
Their profligacy in front of goal would come back to bite them on the half-hour mark as Manchester United took the lead against the run of play. Harry Maguire’s cross from the right wing was flicked on by Manuel Ugarte and met by Casemiro at the back post, who nodded United into the lead.
It went from bad to worse for Athletic Club just a few minutes later as Vivian brought down Rasmus Hojlund in the box. The referee awarded Manchester United a penalty after consultation with VAR and gave Vivian his marching orders for the denial of a goal-scoring opportunity. Fernandes dispatched the penalty into the bottom right corner with customary coolness, doubling his side’s lead in the 37th minute.
The visitors were not done quite yet, adding a third right on the stroke of half-time. Ugarte claimed his second assist of the night as his delicate flick sent Fernandes clean through on goal, and the Manchester United skipper found the bottom corner with another composed finish.
For all the drama of the first half, the second was a much more subdued affair. Manchester United retained the majority of the possession without being put under much pressure by their Spanish opponents and could have extended their advantage.
The rest of the game was played without much incident, with Ruben Amorim’s men taking an invaluable three-goal advantage back to Manchester ahead of the second leg at Old Trafford.
On that note, here are the Manchester United player ratings from an exciting UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg.
Manchester United player ratings:
Andre Onana: 6/10
Onana made a crucial save early on with his side under intense pressure and did not let concentration levels drop even as the job became easier. His assured gathering of a late Athletic Club free-kick saw him notch another clean sheet.
Victor Lindelof: 7/10
Lindelof was excellent on the ball, completing the most passes (97) in the game. The Swede was always looking to get Manchester United moving forward with intelligent balls out from the back.
Harry Maguire: 8/10
Maguire made important contributions both offensively and defensively before being taken off in the second half. The centre-back showed quick feet on the right wing in the build-up for the first goal and was solid at the back as well.
Leny Yoro: 6/10
Yoro put in an assured defensive performance, making five recoveries and three clearances and dealing well with the pace and power of Inaki Williams. The Frenchman picked up a late yellow card for a foul in his own half.
Noussair Mazraoui: 7/10
Mazraoui linked up well with Lindelof to negate the substantial threat of Nico Williams on Athletic’s left wing. The Moroccan made the most tackles (4) in the game before being taken off. He also came close to scoring in the first half with a powerful shot that cannoned back off the crossbar.
Manuel Ugarte: 8/10
While Ugarte struggled initially to cope with Athletic’s physicality in midfield, he grew into the game and made a major impact. The Uruguayan set up two goals in addition to making six recoveries before being taken off midway through the second half.
Casemiro: 8/10
In addition to scoring the opener, Casemiro also won the most duels (10) in the game and made seven recoveries in an eye-catching midfield display.
Patrick Dorgu: 5/10
Dorgu was a willing runner going forward, but was guilty of neglecting his defensive duties at times. The Danish international was a constant threat on the flank, especially after the hosts went down to 10 men.
Bruno Fernandes: 9/10
Not only did Fernandes score two goals, but the United skipper also created the most chances (3) in the game and ran the show from his advanced midfield position.
Alejandro Garnacho: 5/10
Garnacho’s display as one of Manchester United’s two number 10s was industrious but lacking in quality. The Argentine found himself in several promising positions but failed to provide the final product in front of goal. He also picked up a yellow card just before he was taken off.
Rasmus Hojlund: 6/10
Although he did not get on the ball much, Hojlund was a handful for the opposition defense, using his pace and physicality well. The Dane won the penalty for the second goal and put himself about the pitch to good effect.
Substitutes:
Matthijs de Ligt: 5/10
De Ligt made his return from an injury layoff and helped his side see out the win with minimal fuss.
Mason Mount: 5/10
Mount was full of energy during his time on the pitch and covered a lot of ground. He picked up a booking for pulling back Maroan Sannadi.
Luke Shaw: 5/10
Shaw slotted in at left wing-back after replacing Mazraoui in the second half and quietly went about his business, putting a few probing crosses into the box.
Amad: 5/10
Amad’s return from a lengthy injury is a welcome one for Manchester United and the Ivorian showed a few lovely touches during his short time on the pitch.
Kobbie Mainoo: 5/10
Mainoo was brought on for the final few minutes to help see out the game.
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Edited by Arshit Garg
